Increasing MPG...

[Jmar]

I have a 2003 Nissan Altima 2.5S, and correct me if im wrong but i belive they are suppossed to get around 28MPG, and i mostly drive highway(commute to school and work, and pretty much everything esle, i live right off a major highway). Ive been looking at my gauage/little screen where the odometer is located, and it reads 22.3MPG and its been like that for a while.

Is there anything I can do that can increase my MPG? Nothing ridicolous(college student) that will end up costling like $300 plus in one bill. lol. Anything, i want to get as much Miles Per Gallon as possible, id appreciate it. Thank you in advance.

Edit: Anything besides intakes, only because im not mechanically inclinded/mechanically savy, and dont have the money to spend on the airtake AND some shop install lol, if i knew how to install it myself i would, but not happening..

[Sayonara]

Check your tire pressure. Improper tire pressure can lead to 2-5mpg off your average.

Check your car out, make sure the oil is good, spark plugs are good... Make sure your fluids are all at the proper levels. A great way to get good mpg is to take care of your car in general.

Lighten the load. Try cleaning out your trunk or getting rid of your system if you have one.

As for any other free/cheap tips Idk what else to tell you. Besides having a good intake/header/exhaust set up a good tune there isn't much more you can do. Maybe some light wheels and tires but that isn't cheap.

[UzumakiNaruto]

sea foam your car

[T0NYD1DZ]

Its probably best to make sure all the correct maintenance is done. Like Sayonara states check the tire pressure, oil and all other fluids. Easy on the pedal when accelerating. Im not sure if its the same on amarican altimas as it is on the canadian ones but that display showing you how much mpg your getting could be reset. I like to reset mine right after every fuel up because I figure its a more accurate reading of how i am driving in between fuel ups. Just gives me a better reading becuase i know some weeks i drive like a maniac and others like an old grandpa. some times i had to fuel up every week and barely made a week and a half but i mean thats with heavy acceleration and what not. It honestly might be best for your car to just hold some pay checks back, even like 50 bucks a pay for a few months and save up for a cold air intake. It will honestly pay for itself. I had my Injen Intake installed a week and a half ago and i am averaging 10.3L/100km so that converts to about 22.3mpg (thats with extreme accelerating, to like 4000 and over all first 3 gears. and my car still has over half a tank. with smooth acceleration shifting at 2500 to 3000 I can easily get 9.7L/100km which converts to about 25mpg. So yeah just good maintenance, upgrade some parts if and when you can, and drive smoothly.

Debating on whether or not to buy my new header and exhaust system today or hold off till next pay, going to vegas and im gonna need atlest 2500 haha.

[200hpAltima]

Don't go by the computer in the car. Do the calculations yourself and then report back to know what your actual mileage is please!

[duaner]

Originally Posted by 200hpAltima

Don't go by the computer in the car. Do the calculations yourself and then report back to know what your actual mileage is please!

^This.

Tire pressure and air filter are the two quick things to check. Driving habits make a difference.

[Ey3CoNz2]

I get 19mpg. Makes no sense and I have a 2.5s. This is me calculating it myself too. Figured I'll get a Triple Dog GT tuner and see if I can use that to help my mileage. Going to change all fluids and dunno if changing my precat 02 sensor is worth it. It's almost a $100 for one.

[SzczDavi]

Originally Posted by Ey3CoNz2

I get 19mpg. Makes no sense and I have a 2.5s. This is me calculating it myself too. Figured I'll get a Triple Dog GT tuner and see if I can use that to help my mileage. Going to change all fluids and dunno if changing my precat 02 sensor is worth it. It's almost a $100 for one.

I get like 17, and i think its WORSE on the highway. Id try sea foam but with the abuse this car suffered idk if its safe to try.

and you can get some ebay intake for 50 bucks that comes with instructions probably. you would be surprised on what you can do on cars with no experience

[Sayonara]

Originally Posted by SzczDavi

I get like 17, and i think its WORSE on the highway.

Originally Posted by Ey3CoNz2

I get 19mpg.

I wasn't even getting that bad of gas mileage with a partially blown head gasket around town!

[XLXR]

I have a 2012 3.5 SR. I checked gas mileage by calculating and found my gauge is 1 mpg too good. I also found the mpg read out seems to include time when stopped which really pulls down the displayed mpg.

I also have the moving bar graph that indicates mpg and moves with the gas pedal. The farther I push the gas pedal, the less mpg I get.

I reset the mpg display when I get on the highway to avoid stop and go traffic from pulling down the average. I reset it again when I get off the highway and start driving in stop and go traffic.

My gas mileage varies from 18 with a heavy foot in stop and go traffic to 34 on the highway about 65 mph.

Easy on the gas pedal is the easiest way to increase mpg.

[Ey3CoNz2]

I drive super easy but I'll get 20mpg which is only a 1 mpg increase. Anyone know where I can go to have my 02 sensor tested or anyway I can do it myself. I'd like to know it's bad before I bother buying a new one.

[HuskerAltima87]

Originally Posted by Ey3CoNz2

I drive super easy but I'll get 20mpg which is only a 1 mpg increase. Anyone know where I can go to have my 02 sensor tested or anyway I can do it myself. I'd like to know it's bad before I bother buying a new one.

I can't remember what to measure at the O2 sensor, it's in the fsm and if you have a multimeter that can read volts, amps, etc. you can find out if it's functioning within spec.

**EDIT**

Found it, EC-848
1. Start engine and warm it up to normal operating temperature.
2. Set voltmeter probes between ECM terminal 91 [HO2S1 (B1) signal] or 92 [HO2S1 (B2) signal] and engine ground.
3. Check the following with engine speed held at 2,000 rpm constant under no load.

The voltage fluctuates between 0 to 0.3V and 0.6 to 1.0V more than 5 times within 10 seconds.
The maximum voltage is over 0.6V at least one time. The minimum voltage is below 0.3V at least one time. The voltage never exceeds 1.0V.
1 time: 0 - 0.3V → 0.6 - 1.0V → 0 - 0.3V
2 times: 0 - 0.3V → 0.6 - 1.0V → 0 - 0.3V → 0.6 - 1.0V

Looks like a 2 person job.

[Ey3CoNz2]

Thanks Husker. That really helps. I'll try that.

I ordered: ElmScan 5 Compact USB OBD-II Scan Tool & OBDWiz Engine Diagnostic Software 42300 | eBay

It comes with OBDwiz which I read somewhere I can use to monitor my mileage, read codes and also monitor some of the values and readings that are coming from the 02 sensors. The car has two so I'll try to record the values for both sensors and post the graph up here. Maybe someone would be able to read it better than me and tell me for sure if its time to change the 02 sensors.

Would having a Cold Air intake, Headers and Exhaust have anything to do with the cruddy mileage? I was getting 22-23mpg before the mods. I thought I would be getting better mileage but it took a nose dive instead.

[HuskerAltima87]

You don't need to really worry about the second O2 sensor b/c it's just there to tell you the precat is working, which is irrelevant if you got a header. The first one is what tells the computer to adjust fuel, etc.

I thought the same thing when I got my CAI, then exhaust and header, but to be honest I know I drive it with WAY MORE pep since I did them and that hasn't helped at all.

[Ey3CoNz2]

Yea second O2 sensor isn't important, It's the one I have the spacer on. I just hope this program can actually monitor what I need it to, maybe even run a diagnosis.